Optimum Lightpath serves up tech-based learning to N.J. school

Optimum Lightpath, the commercial services division of Cablevision, has enabled more technology-based learning tools to a school in New Jersey via its fiber network.

Morris Catholic High School, which serves 40 towns and communities within Morris County, N.J., is now using Optimum Lightpath’s Internet Voice Bundle to provide services to its 430 students and teachers. Prior to the switch to Optimum Lightpath, the school’s technology efforts were hampered by bandwidth constraints and ongoing Internet outages.

Teachers were also frustrated that certain online elements couldn’t be incorporated into the classroom, and students sometimes had difficulty connecting to the Internet to conduct research.

“We knew that we had to make a big change to our network infrastructure in order to introduce new technology-based learning initiatives for our students,” said Michael St. Pierre, president of Morris Catholic High School.

With the addition of Optimum Lightpath’s Internet Voice Bundle, which is one element of its Education Services Suite, the school can have more technology in its curriculum and provide a better communications platform for students and their families.

The overhaul resulted in the introduction of a school podcast and Apple iPhone and Google Android apps, as well as the rollout of interactive white boards. This school year, Morris Catholic started implementing a one-to-one Apple iPad rollout for all of its ninth graders. The school’s goal is to eventually deploy iPads to every student in every grade.

“Everything from the classroom environment and how students are learning and being engaged, to how the administration is interacting with each other and students, has totally taken on a new life,” said Matthew Alpaugh, director of communications and alumni for Morris Catholic High School.

Morris Catholic has also benefited from an administration perspective. The school is relying more heavily on email and IRC chat for communication and the cloud to host a variety of documents that students, staff and school families can access directly. The school can also turn up additional bandwidth as needed.

“It is especially rewarding to watch how the technology that Optimum Lightpath brings to market can help the leaders of tomorrow learn in new ways,” said Julia McGrath, senior vice president of marketing and business development for Optimum Lightpath. “As schools throughout the New York metro area continue to evaluate new ways to advance tech-based education initiatives, we’ll keep working to pack innovation into our Education Services Suite of products to help them reach new heights.”